The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to be more protective of the country's secret information.

Iran's Ambassador to the IAEA Reza Najafi said the request was made in a notice presented to the agency after a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors.

"The notice was given since we are approaching the time for implementation of an important part of the Additional Protocol, based on which after six months a preliminary announcement should be presented by Iran," said Iran's representative at the IAEA.

Under the Additional Protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the IAEA is granted expanded rights of access to information and sites. By enabling the IAEA to obtain a much fuller picture of states' nuclear programs, plans, nuclear material holdings and trade, the Additional Protocol helps to provide much greater assurance on the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in those states.

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano in May confirmed that Iran had remained loyal to all of its undertakings under the agreement it signed with the UN nuclear watchdog agency in Vienna in July 2015.

He added that Iran had not pursued the construction of the existing Arak heavy water research reactor and had not enriched uranium above low levels in line with its declarations to the UN nuclear watchdog body.

The IAEA is inspecting Iran's commitment to the nuclear deal (aka JCPOA) of the last year.

In addition to the deal, Iran has decided to voluntarily observe the Additional Protocol as a trust-building move.